During many of the earliest American and Russian space missions, experiments were performed using cables to connect people and objects to spacecraft in orbit. These attempts generated considerable information about the formation of tethered systems and basic problems with tether orientation and gravity-gradient stabilization. During the 1970s, interest in tethered space systems (TSS) came to the forefront with an international project that involved the hanging of a probe from a low-orbit satellite to collect data on the Earth and its atmosphere. Since that time, TSS has grown to become its own area of research. Dynamics of Tethered Space Systems brings together the work of seven leading researchers working at the forefront of TSS. Together, they provide a brief yet thorough introduction to TSS. Then, combining theory with experimental approaches important to industry, they cover the dynamics of the mechanical, physical, and mathematical modeling approaches involved in tethered satellite deployment. They present several models from the literature, focusing on the simplest but most important system: two satellites in orbit around the Earth. Discussion then expands to cover more complex examples. Along the way, the authors consider a number of important topics, such as energy production resulting from interaction between the system and Earth’s magnetic field and momentum transfer in relation to satellites, microgravity laboratories, and futuristic applications such as the space elevator. They also look at a number of challenges, including those with deployment and energy dissipation. Providing approaches to theoretical models and experimental methods, the text includes a wealth of essential equations and detailed analyses of forces acting on tethered objects in motion. It provides both a starting point for further research and the tools needed to apply that research to the applications of tomorrow.

Aimed at engineering students and professionals working in the field of mechanics of space flight, this book examines space tether systems – one of the most forward-thinking directions of modern astronautics. The main advantage of this technology is the simplicity, profitability and ecological compatibility: space tethers allow the execution of various manoeuvers in orbit without costs of jet fuel due to the use of gravitational and electromagnetic fields of the Earth. This book will acquaint the reader with the modern state of the space tether’s dynamics, with specific attention on the research projects of the nearest decades. This book presents the most effective mathematical models and the methods used for the analysis and prediction of space tether systems’ motion; attention is also given to the influence of the tether on spacecraft’s motion, to emergencies and chaotic modes. Written by highly qualified experts with practical experience in both the fields of mechanics of space flight, and in the teaching Contains detailed descriptions of mathematical models and methods, and their features, that allow the application of the material of the book to the decision of concrete practical tasks New approaches to the decision of problems of space flight mechanics are offered, and new problems are posed

Tethered Space Robot: Dynamics, Measurement, and Control discusses a novel tethered space robot (TSR) system that contains the space platform, flexible tether and gripper. TSR can capture and remove non-cooperative targets such as space debris. It is the first time the concept has been described in a book, which describes the system and mission design of TSR and then introduces the latest research on pose measurement, dynamics and control. The book covers the TSR system, from principle to applications, including a complete implementing scheme. A useful reference for researchers, engineers and students interested in space robots, OOS and debris removal. Provides for the first time comprehensive coverage of various aspects of tethered space robots (TSR) Presents both fundamental principles and application technologies including pose measurement, dynamics and control Describes some new control techniques, including a coordinated control method for tracking optimal trajectory, coordinated coupling control and coordinated approaching control using mobile tether attachment points

Rigid Body Dynamics for Space Applications explores the modern problems of spaceflight mechanics, such as attitude dynamics of re-entry and space debris in Earth's atmosphere; dynamics and control of coaxial satellite gyrostats; deployment, dynamics, and control of a tether-assisted return mission of a re-entry capsule; and removal of large space debris by a tether tow. Most space systems can be considered as a system of rigid bodies, with additional elastic and viscoelastic elements and fuel residuals in some cases. This guide shows the nature of the phenomena and explains the behavior of space objects. Researchers working on spacecraft attitude dynamics or space debris removal as well as those in the fields of mechanics, aerospace engineering, and aerospace science will benefit from this book. Provides a complete treatise of modeling attitude for a range of novel and modern attitude control problems of spaceflight mechanics Features chapters on the application of rigid body dynamics to atmospheric re-entries, tethered assisted re-entry, and tethered space debris removal Shows relatively simple ways of constructing mathematical models and analytical solutions describing the behavior of very complex material systems Uses modern methods of regular and chaotic dynamics to obtain results

"The equations of motion of a tethered satellite system are highly nonlinear and should possess many interesting related features; yet its nonlinear dynamics has never been thoroughly investigated in previous works. This thesis analyzes the nonlinear dynamics of two-body tethered satellite systems using numerical tools of analysis such as phase plane plots, power spectral densities (PSD's), Poincare sections and first Lyapunov exponents, as well as approximate analytical methods including the method of Melnikov. Motion in the stationkeeping phase wherein the tethered system is just a gravity gradient pendulum is studied, first considering pitch motion only, and then considering the coupled pitch and roll motions. The deployment/retrieval phases are studied next. For a circular orbit, pitch stability is examined for varying exponential length rates; for the unstable cases, it is compared to an equivalent uniform length rate scheme, which showed better stability behaviour. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)" --

Arun K. Banerjee is one of the foremost experts in the world on the subject of flexible multibody dynamics. This book describes how to build mathermatical models of multibody systems with elastic components. Examples of such systems include the human body itself, construction cranes, cares with trailers, helicopers, spacecraft deploying antennas, tethered satellites, and underwater maneuvering vehicles. This book provides methods of analysis of complex mechanical systems that can be simulated in less computer time than other methods. It equips the reader with knowledge of algorithms that provide accurate results in reduced simulation time.

Space tethers are long cables which can be used for propulsion, momentum exchange, stabilization and altitude control, or maintaining the relative positions of the components of a large dispersed satellite/spacecraft sensor system. Depending on the mission objectives and altitude, spaceflight using this form of spacecraft propulsion may be significantly less expensive than spaceflight using rocket engines. A number of space tethers have been deployed in space missions. Tether satellites can be used for various purposes including research into tether propulsion, tidal stabilisation and orbital plasma dynamics.

"Among the external forces, the aerodynamic forces and their effects on the dynamics and stability of the system are given more attention. The free molecular flow model is used to calculate the aerodynamic forces resulting from the material damping of the tethers are considered in this investigation. These forces, which are very difficult to model accurately, are modelled using a viscous damping model." --